Automatic speed signal device



March 11, 1941. J KRQMHQLZ 2,234,309

AUTOMATIC SPEED SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1933 E02 ward J'Kromholz INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SPEED SIGNAL DEVICE Edward J. Kromholz, Rockford, Ill. Application August 9, 1938, Serial No. 223,924 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-80) My invention relates to signalling devices and and weights are constituting a centrifugally acmore particularly to signalling devices adaptable tuated speedv governor. The rear end of the sleeve for use on vehicles to indicate the presence and I4 is reduced and has secured thereon a collar rate of speed the vehicle is traveling. I 6 to provide a circumferentially extending groove One of the principal objects of my invention is out the rear end of said sleeve. Mounted on the 6 to provide a vehicle signalling device so conrear end of said sleeve, and within said groove, structed and arranged as to indicate the presence is a ring fashioned with a pair of oppositely exand speed of a vehicle on a highway or the like. tending resilient arms I! extending through a Another object of my invention is to provide guide slot I8 formed in horizontally disposed seca device of the above described character, tion brackets I9 secured to the inner face of the 10 equipped with means for indicating different rear wall of the housing 9. The outer ends of the ranges of speed of the said vehicle to enable arms I! are fashioned with enlarged sections 20 others to approximate the speed of said vehicle. for engagement with switch blades as hereinafter A-further object of my invention is to provide set forth.

a device of the above described character, which The upper and lower walls of the housing 9 is simple in construction, durable in use, eiiicient adjacent the rear end of said housing is fashioned in operation and economical in manufacture. with longitudinally extending slots 2| covered by Other objects and advantages will be apparent insulated switch blocks or plates 22 secured to from the following description, appended claim the outer faces of said upper and lower walls.

and annexed drawing. Each of the switch blocks 22 has mounted thereon 20 Referring to the drawing wherein like referand extending therethrough switch blades 23, 24, ence characters designate like parts throughout 23 and and Said blades d 25 e the several i insulated and spaced from each other and the Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my blades 25 and 25 invention illustrating the same as applied to the The blades 25 and 26a are i e rally connected 26 speedometer of a vehicle or the m at the outer ends thereof and the blade 24 interngure a front elevation of a peedometer poses the latter blade the blades and my invention applied thereto embrace the blades and 26a adjacent the Figure 3 1, detail sectional View illustrating respective sides thereof. All of said blades ex- 30 the position of the switch blades at maximum tend from the respective blocks 22 into the housso 5peed ing of the respective slots 2| and are fashioned Figure 4 is a, detail perspective View of one of on the inner ends thereof with contact points. the brackets for supporting the member for 210- The outer ends of the arms I1 extend between tuating the switch blade. the blades 26 and 24 adjacent the contact points Figure 5 is a perspective view of the member for thereof. 8 actuating the switch blades. Arranged within the dial 6, is a tier of colored In practicing my invention, I provide a speedelectric lamps, for instance purple, green and yelometer 5 equipped with a speed indicating dial 6 low 30, 3| and 32 respectively, and also arranged and speed indicating hand I, the latter conwithin a casing 33 equipped with a lens 34 in a nected in the usual manner to a drive shaft 8 similar number of lamps, the latter being colored 40 extending longitudinally through a speedometer purple, green and yellow 30a, 3Ia and 32a rehousing 9 for connection with the keyed end of a spectively. The lamps of each color are arilexible drive shaft 911 at the r ar end of Sa d ranged in circuit with each other for simultaneous housing as indicated at l0. operation as hereinafter set forth, The casing is Fixed on the drive shaft 8 is a sleeve I I fashadapted to be disposed on the exterior of a motor ioned with a collar I2 having connected thereto vehicle in a position readily definable by ped the ends of a pair of resilient arms I3, the oppotrians and other motorists. site ends of said arms being connected to a sleeve As illustrated in Figure l of the drawing, the 5Q 14 slidably mounted on the shaft 8 and keyed purple lamps are connected by electric wiring to thereto for rotation therewith and said arms I3 the switch blade 23 and to the ground side of a are provided with centrifugally actuated weights battery B, while the green and yellow lamps are If whereby to actuate the sleeve I4 towards or connected to the switch blades 24 and 25 respecaway from the sleeve II depending upon the speed tively and said ground side of the battery. The 66 of rotation of the shaft 8, and said sleeves, arms blades 26 and 26a are connected to the opposite side of the battery and adapted to eiiect connection with the other blades upon actuation of the arms ll as hereinafter set forth.

In operation, when a motor vehicle s parked, the sleeve or the governor is in extreme extended position from the sleeve ii thereby dis posing the arms ll through the brackets it in a manner that the ends of said arms engage the blades 25 and effect contact between said blades 25 and blade 23 and thereby complete the cirsuit through the battery to illuminate the purple lights and which in. the present instance denotes that the motor vehicle is either parked or traveling at a speed not exceeding 5 miles per hour. Thus, when the motor vehicle is being operated the governor on the shaft 8 is also operated and sheets movement of the sleeve ill towards the sleeve ii and thereby actuates the arm it away from the blade causing the blade is to likewise move with the arms due to their resiliency, thereby breaking contact with the blade 23 and interrupting the circuit to extinguish the purple lights when said vehicle exceeds said speed of 5 miles per hour. Continued increase in the speed of the motor vehicle, for instance from 5 miles per hour to miles per hour, permits the arm ll to idle between the blade 2e and blade 24 and during this idling period all of the lamps are in extinguished condition due to non-contact between the switch blades 26 and 26a and the other blades. However, it is to be understood that the motor vehicle is equipped with the ordinary red tail light and thus said red tail light being the only signal light illuminated will indicate that the vehicle is traveling in a speed range from 5 to 20 miles per hour. When the motor vehicle speed obtains 20 miles per hour, the sleeve H of the governor will have moved a sufficient distance towards the sleeve II to actuate the ends of the arm l'l into engagement with blade 24 to eflect a contact with the latter with the ends of the blade 26a and thereby close the circuit to the yellow lamps 3i and 3la and which in the present instance denote a speed range 01' approximately 20 to 40 essence :miles per hour. Due to the spacing of the blade 26a relative to the blade 25, contact between the blades 25a and 25 will not be efiected until the speed of the motor vehicle has been increased to approximately 40 miles per hour to dispose the sleeve it closer to the sleeve 5 l and thereby actu= ate the arm ii a further distance towards the blade 25 to effect said contact. Upon efiecting contact between the blades 25a and 25 the circuit thereof will be closed to effect illumination of the green lamps 82 and 32a and which closing oi said circuit serves to operate a circuit breaker be for breaking the circuit between the yellow lamps and the blade 26 thereby extinguishing the yellow lamps, said green lamps being indicative of a speed range of over 0 miles per hour. Deceleration of the motor vehicle efifects a reverse operation of the circuits as heretofore described.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a signalling device adapted to be attached to motor vehicles and the like and which will indicate when said vehicle is in the parked condition and also indicate an approximate speed of said vehicle when the same is traveling on the highway and thus enable other motorists to judge the speed thereof in passing said vehicle or crossing the highway.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a housing, a driven shaft mounted within said housing, a plurality of switch blades mounted on said housing and insulated therefrom, said switch blades insulated and'spaced relative to" each other, a governor mounted on said shaft and responsive to the speed of the latter, a switch blade actuating member carried by the governor and operated thereby for selective engagement with said switch blades whereby to close and break electric circuits, and a bracket fixed to said housing and formed with a. slot slldably receiving said memher and coacting with the latter to preclude rotation of said member with respect to said blades when actuated by said governor.

EpwAR J. KROMHQLZ. 

